Moulding apparatus



United States Patent- [72] Inventor John [Ian-y Chpham Atkins {50] Field of Search 107]] 5.5, wggtwood,Engllnd 15.6,15.7,15.9,1.1,1.5,14.1, 8a1l;18/2l, 2(RA); [21] Appl. No. 721,397 118/24, 25 [22] Filed April 15, 1968 451 Patented Nov. 24, 1910 [561 References Cited [73] Assignee Baker Perkins Incorporated UNITED STATES PATENTS I Saginaw, Michigan 222,135 12/1879 Hoffman 107/15.7 [32] Priority April 18, 1967 2,424,949 7/1947 White 107/ 1.5 [33] Great Britain Prim E y xammer-Walter A. Scheel 1 17796 67 Assistant Examiner-Robert 1. Smith Attorney-Learman, Learman and Mc Culloch MOULDING APPARATUS ABSTRACT: A rotary drum pie moulder and depositor in 7 claims 3 Drawing Figs which dough pieces are ejected from die cavities in the drum [52] U.S. C1. 107/8, by compressed air acting internally of the drum and progres- 107/15; 18/2] sively over the base of the cavities whereby the dough pieces [51 1 Int. CL...- A2lc ll/4 are ejected with a peeling action.

MOULDING APPARATUS The invention relates to apparatus for moulding plastic material such as baker's dough into required shapes and for ejecting the shaped'material from a moulding cavity.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus as set v materials comprising a rotary drum having at least one mould- I ing cavity in its surface, means for filling the cavity with material to be moulded and duct means internally of the drum for causing fluid to issue from the base of thefilled cavity progressively over the peripheral length of the cavity to eject the moulded material from the cavity with a peeling action.

The invention will now be described by way of example withreference to the lidding of meat or other pics in individual tins or foils.

ln thedrawings:

F 1G. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of one form of moulding and depositing apparatus according to the invention,

P16. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of an alternative form of apparatus according to the invention, and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side view of a further alternative form of apparatus according to the invention.

The different apparatus shown in the H65. having various features in common referred to by like reference characters. Thus in each embodiment, a moulding drum 1 having a plurality of moulding cavities 3' around its surface, each with a perforate or a porous base 2, is adapted to rotate around a fixed inner core 4. The moulding drum cooperates with a ribbed rotary feed drum 5 so that during rotation of the drums the feed drum presses dough from a hopper 6 into the mould tion with ductl3. To ensure accurate depositing of the moulded pie 'lids onto their respective containers or pie bases lining the containers, alignment of the front of a container with the front of a die cavity is required at the commencement of depositing and the containers must move at the same linear speed as the outer surface of the moulding drum. With the outer surface of the moulding drum moving at the same linear speed as the container conveyor it is necessary to ensure, for example through photoelectric sensing means or the like, that the spacing between the end of one container and the be inning of the next is equal to' the circumferential distance be ween the end of one moulding cavity and the beginning of the next on the moulding drum. Suitable stops and timing control means may be provided to accurately interspace the containers on the conveyor, and means such as converging guides may be provided to accurately laterally aline tins, foils or trays for exampie with the mould cavities. Alternatively retractable container arresting fingers operated from cams associated with the moulding drum may be provided to release a container in timed relation with movements of the moulding drum.

' on pie bases in individual tins or foils or for multiple placing in cavities and excess dough is removed fromthe moulding drum or foils with a peeling action and different systems can be employed for achieving this. In FIG. 1 the fixed inner core 4 has a radially extending compressedair duct 10 leading from a compressed air source, which duct 10 is circumferentially narrow with respect to the moulding cavities 2 so that as a cavity rotates about the core, it passes progressively under the influence of ejecting air. A similar effect is achieved with the arrangement shown in FIG. 2 where the fixed core has a circum ferentially wide radially extending compressed air duct '11 substantially the width of the cavity 3 but the rear or trailing portion of this is rendered ineffective to release the moulding by the circumferentially extended doctor surface 12 so that the moulding is gradually released as it progressively passes under the front end of duct 11.

in the FIG. 3 arrangement, inner core 12 rotates with the drum about a central shaft having a, radial compressed air supply duct 13. The core has a series of radial ducts 14 each terminating in pockets communicating with different parts of the moulding cavities so that a moulding is released progressively as each successive duct 14 is brought into communicaindividual pie moulds which are incorporated in trays or for example in containers attached to endless chain conveyors.

lclaim:

l. Apparatus for molding dough material comprising a movable mold member having at least one molding cavity in its surface, said cavity including a perforate base; means for introducing material to be molded to said cavity; and duct means internally of the moldmember for causing fluid under pressure to issue through said perforate base of said cavity progressively over the length of the cavity to eject the molded material from the cavity with a peeling action.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the movable mold member comprises a rotary drum including a rotary outer shell containing the molding cavity and said duct means includes a stationary inner core having a fluid duct of peripherally narrower extent than the molding cavity for directing said fluid toward said shell.

3 Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said duct means includes a plurality of 'radially'ext'ending ducts leading in al hopper.

7. Apparatus asset forth in claim 6 wherein the duct is of substantially the'same peripheral extent as themolding cavity. 

